The perimeter-based security model is dead. Zero trust — 'never trust, always verify' — is the architecture Indian enterprises need to survive in a world of hybrid work and cloud-native systems.
The Collapse of the Network Perimeter
Traditional enterprise security assumed a hard shell and soft interior: a firewall on the network edge, and implicit trust for everything inside. This model was already weakening with cloud adoption; it completely broke with the pandemic-driven shift to remote work. When employees, contractors, and systems access resources from homes, cafes, and dozens of cloud services, there is no perimeter left to defend.
India experienced 13.9 million cyber incidents in 2023. The Common Vulnerability: employees with broad access to internal systems once their credentials are compromised.
Zero Trust Principles
Zero Trust is not a product — it's an architecture philosophy grounded in three principles:
- Verify explicitly: Authenticate and authorize every request, every time, based on all available data points: identity, device health, location, behavior
- Use least privilege access: Grant only the minimum access required for the specific task, for the minimum duration
- Assume breach: Design as if attackers are already inside; minimize blast radius, segment access, encrypt data in transit and at rest
Implementation Pillars
Identity as the New Perimeter
Every access request must be authenticated through Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Modern MFA goes beyond SMS OTPs — phishing-resistant methods like hardware security keys (FIDO2) or passkeys eliminate the largest credential attack vector. Privileged Identity Management (PIM) grants elevated permissions just-in-time, for a limited duration, for specific approved tasks.
Device Trust
Access is granted not just based on who you are but what device you're using. Device health checks verify: OS patch level, endpoint protection status, disk encryption, certificate validity. Unmanaged personal devices receive restricted access to low-sensitivity resources only.
Micro-segmentation
Instead of flat internal networks where a compromised server can communicate freely with all other servers, micro-segmentation creates isolated network zones. A server in Zone A cannot initiate connections to Zone B unless an explicit policy rule permits it. This contains lateral movement: an attacker who penetrates one zone cannot freely spread.
Zero Trust for Small and Mid-Size Enterprises
Zero Trust is often perceived as enterprise-only due to cost and complexity. This is changing. Modern identity platforms (Microsoft Entra ID, Okta) and cloud-native access proxies make Zero Trust accessible to organizations with 50–500 employees. The starting point for any size organization: mandate MFA for all accounts, implement SSO to centralize access management, and segment networks from day one. Build from there.
Michael designs and implements enterprise-scale cloud infrastructure, with deep expertise in multi-cloud strategies, DevOps, and resilient system architecture.